Negotiations began last month in Vienna between Iran and the P5+1 countries (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany) to reach a comprehensive deal on Iran’s nuclear program after a decades-long standoff. Following the conclusion of this preliminary round of talks, which are set to resume in mid-March, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) offered a welcome assessment for those seeking to resolve the impasse. In the quarterly report to its board of directors, the nuclear watchdog verified that Iran’s stock of 20-percent enriched uranium had decreased to 351 pounds (significantly less than the 550 pounds needed for one nuclear weapon) from its 431-pound inventory of last November.
Iran’s cessation of enriching uranium to 20 percent, along with its agreement to more intrusive inspections by the IAEA, formed the cornerstone of an interim deal signed last fall between the P5+1 and Iran, which resulted in Iran receiving some limited relief from the crippling sanctions imposed on it by the United States.
Read Full Article »